Who Cares About Israel?

[NorthenLove]

<< Considering the fact that they are the only democracy in the middle east, someone better care.

And if you think what's going on in the rest of the world doesn't effect us you have a very short memory. >>



Actually Iran is also a democracy if you didn't know. It's just that they hate our guts because we helped to overthrow there prior democratically elected government in the past and installed a un-popular curopt monarchy which abused it's power and was very repressive.

 

[jjones]

<< << Gee....maybe it has something to do with the fact that Israel is our strongest ally in a very volitile and much needed, for it's resources, region >>



I thought the strongest ally to the US was Britain and Canada? >>


Reading comprehension is not your strong suit is it?

 

[NorthenLove]

<< This is less about religion, and more about supporting the only democratically free country in the Middle East.

It's also about a country surrounded by nations that took weapons and money from communist countries to try and destroy that only democratically free country. >>





I guess the fact that the State Department labeled the Isreali government as the number one seller of U.S. military and other high tech secrets to China doesn't seem to matter right ?

 

[Grommet5]

<<Reading comprehension is not your strong suit is it? >>

No its not, do you have a problem with that? and to heck with israel, i hope it gets nuked out of existence.

 

[jjones]

<< <<Reading comprehension is not your strong suit is it? >>

No its not, do you have a problem with that? and to heck with israel, i hope it gets nuked out of existence. >>


No problem at all; I enjoy reading your posts. BTW, the Palestinians are looking for a few good ignorant zealots with nuclear weapons, perhaps you can help them out; maybe not with the nukes but with the ignorant zealots part.

 

[etech]

<< i think its obvious why the arabians hate isreal, their news is gov owned, and they don't even know whats actually happening. they even think that Isreal where the ones to attack (in 67 i think) that led to the occupation. when these countries speak of the glory of killing isreal's children, how can they trust them? not like they didn't invade once before. they would again, but they know Isreal would whip their ass. >>



Just to keep the record straight Israel did attack first in the 67 war. It was a preemptive attack because Egypt was lining up it's forces to attack.

fresno.k12.ca.us
"The Six-Day War
In June 1967, after Egypt blockaded Israeli shipping lanes in the Red Sea, expelled UN peacekeeping troops from the border of the Sinai and built up its own troops in the area, and after Syria massed large numbers of troops on the Golan Heights, Israel launched preemptive strikes against Egypt. Syria and Jordan joined Egypt in the fight. The war lasted only six days. Jordan dropped out after three days, Egypt after four and Syria after six. Israel captured territories which had served as staging areas for rocket or terrorist attacks on Israeli civilian populations: the Sinai and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria and the West Bank from Jordan including East Jerusalem.
"

It is also a reason that Israel has no reason to trust the U.N. There were UN peace observes in the region. They withdrew at the request of Egyptian president Nasser to make way for the Arab attack.

 

[Grommet5]

<<BTW, the Palestinians are looking for a few good ignorant zealots with nuclear weapons, perhaps you can help them out; maybe not with the nukes but with the ignorant zealots part.>>

I'm not a zealot, i just said the part about nuking israel, to get a response out of ya. :|

 

[db]

If Israel did not buy anything from the US, including fighter jets, and they did not have the influence in Washington DC that they do, how involved would America be in Israel's affairs?

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

The only reason the Arabs are not tearing each other limb from limb is because they have found a common cause.

True in part, but how is your statement any different from any other conflict where disparate groups align against a common enemy? These countries share basic religious doctrine but otherwise are very diverse. It's only the ignorant American media/populous that believes otherwise.

BTW, I guess the 10 year Iran Iraq war escapes your great and mighty mind, no? I guess the Iraqi slaughter of Kurds escapes you as well?

Yes, but the USSR and USA supported Iraq during the war. The popular Iranian king was deposed by the US-supported shah. When Khomeni's regime rose to power '79 (with popular support) we again decided Iran was bad; granted detaining US citizens for over a year rarely endears. And we were aware of Saddam's predilection for inhumane acts during the I-I War and before he invaded Kuwait but did NOTHING. We are critical now b/c his tyranny is no longer beneficial to OUR interests . . . this rank hypocrisy is not lost on anyone with a historical understanding of the region that predates 1979.

The countless civil wars over the last three decades...

They can easily be enumerated if you care to actually find out. Don't hoist your ignorance upon others. If some third party had divied up the US before the Revolutionary War or before the Civil War how much conflict do you think we would have endured over the past 2 centuries?

I could go on, but why?

Exactly, why continue to write volumes but contribute nothing . . . without geopolitical/historical context this conflict does look like wanton disregard for innocents by Palestinians and intermittent disregard for innocents by Israel. The broader prospective clearly shows that grievances are varied and wide, hence requiring a solution that addresses those grievances. But it has to be UN or state-to-state and it has to show ZERO tolerance for terrorist acts (individual-, group-, and state-sponsored).

 

[prontospyder]

<<I thought Bush said during the '00 campaign that he was going to leave Israel the hell alone b/c we've been too buddy buddy with them? I say we keep our mouths shut and let God & Allah sort 'em out>>

I'm afraid that there has to be more hand holding by the US (like during the Clinton administration) to get both sides to the negotiating table and declare a cease fire.

 

[m2kewl]

<< imagine the world where everybody speaks and nobody listens. >>



Sounds like everyone on this thread...

 

[Vernor]

I agree that the media blows everything that Israel does way out of proportion.

80,000 have died in Algeria over the past decade, and nobody gives a damn. Not the UN, not the Arab world, nobody. Won't even mention what goes on in places like Sudan.


The main reason is that Arabs have become experts at portraying themeselves as helpless victims, while commiting some of the most horribly savage acts.

 

[Amused]

<< The only reason the Arabs are not tearing each other limb from limb is because they have found a common cause.

True in part, but how is your statement any different from any other conflict where disparate groups align against a common enemy? These countries share basic religious doctrine but otherwise are very diverse. It's only the ignorant American media/populous that believes otherwise.

BTW, I guess the 10 year Iran Iraq war escapes your great and mighty mind, no? I guess the Iraqi slaughter of Kurds escapes you as well?

Yes, but the USSR and USA supported Iraq during the war. The popular Iranian king was deposed by the US-supported shah. When Khomeni's regime rose to power '79 (with popular support) we again decided Iran was bad; granted detaining US citizens for over a year rarely endears. And we were aware of Saddam's predilection for inhumane acts during the I-I War and before he invaded Kuwait but did NOTHING. We are critical now b/c his tyranny is no longer beneficial to OUR interests . . . this rank hypocrisy is not lost on anyone with a historical understanding of the region that predates 1979.

The countless civil wars over the last three decades...

They can easily be enumerated if you care to actually find out. Don't hoist your ignorance upon others. If some third party had divied up the US before the Revolutionary War or before the Civil War how much conflict do you think we would have endured over the past 2 centuries?

I could go on, but why?

Exactly, why continue to write volumes but contribute nothing . . . without geopolitical/historical context this conflict does look like wanton disregard for innocents by Palestinians and intermittent disregard for innocents by Israel. The broader prospective clearly shows that grievances are varied and wide, hence requiring a solution that addresses those grievances. But it has to be UN or state-to-state and it has to show ZERO tolerance for terrorist acts (individual-, group-, and state-sponsored). >>



Gee, why do you even bother to speak to me from your mighty high horse oh great one?

Why not list all the civil wars? Because I didn't feel like typing them out. Excuse me for not authoring my posts in a manner you approve of. I shall now grovel and ask for your ever f'cking approval and forgiveness.

Yes, the US, Britain and the Ottomans have played havoc with the Middle East. Is this what makes them so damn oppressive and terroristic? Who knows?

The context of this situation has been brought up by me so damn many times in the countless threads on this subject (OOPS! I was to f'cking lazy to enumerate them for you :Q Please don't whip me!) that I'm sick of repeating it.

As for Sadam, you seem to think we should just hang our heads in shame because we put him there. Bullsh1t. If you hire an employee, and he works out fine at first, then starts stealing you blind and beating up your other employees... is it YOUR fault he turned bad? No. Stop with the simplistic excuse that because we put Sadam in power, we have no right to complain. We have every right. WE did not make him a bad man. Nope, he did that on his little lonesome.

Of course, this is just more shirking of personal responsibility by the liberal mindset. Sadam isn't responsible for his actions. Nooooo, he's just a poor innocent dictator that the US put in power, and he wasn't able to help himself from abusing that power.

 

[Wag:] "Considering the fact that they are the only democracy in the middle east, someone better care."

[AmusedOne:] "This is less about religion, and more about supporting the only democratically free country in the Middle East."

Oh my God! Really! That?s a new revelation to me. Sirs, I would guess each of you thought South Africa was a democratic nation, in fact the most in the entire African continent. Now, let me note that apartheid = democracy according to some supreme human beings from whose mouths come what is absolute.

Last I checked, Israel was a socialist nation with an apartheid system of government, where liberty was denied to one of a certain religious background.

Shantu, I am so with you on this matter. I don't give a rat a$$ about either. I am sick and tired of hearing it. I cannot wait for the cycle to continue, when it will become the turn of the Israelis and they will be in the same situation. And then it will bounce back on the Arabs, and then the Israelis, then the Arabs, then the Israelis, on and on . . . . I hope no one comes to their rescue when they are in a position of no power, for what goes around comes around . . . until one side at least is willing to initiate forgiveness and remove that crappy stigma of being a special people than other human beings.

AmusedOne, please spare us of the usual quotes or indoctrination. You made a statement yesterday implying that a certain people did not and do not merit self-determination because they did not embrace that idea for another set of people. Hon', your statement plainly invalidates any claim to self-determination because according to your reasoning, self-determination is a privilege and not a right. Sir, with all due respect, I ask that you for once attempt using logic. The argument our nation and presidents, last I recall Bill Clinton, have made about a people having a nation of theirs was the right to self determination. Rights are not privileges. And last I checked: Two wrongs don't make a right. No matter the animosity the Palestinians had toward Jews and Jews toward Palestinians, there is no justification for denying a people their right to self-determination. Doing so assumes that a certain men are born with natural rights, whilst a certain other are not born with these natural rights. When you go out of your way to deny rights to people on a select basis and to suit your irrational desires, you open up door for denial of your natural rights or denial to any man of any creed, race, tribe, etc. You might want to rethink it before you mix lack of rationalism and intense passion for religion with logic.

 

[Amused]

<< [Wag:] "Considering the fact that they are the only democracy in the middle east, someone better care."

[AmusedOne:] "This is less about religion, and more about supporting the only democratically free country in the Middle East."

Oh my God! Really! That?s a new revelation to me. Sirs, I would guess each of you thought South Africa was a democratic nation, in fact the most in the entire African continent. Now, let me note that apartheid = democracy according to some supreme human beings from whose mouths come what is absolute.

Last I checked, Israel was a socialist nation with an apartheid system of government, where liberty was denied to one of a certain religious background.

Shantu, I am so with you on this matter. I don't give a rat a$$ about either. I am sick and tired of hearing it. I cannot wait for the cycle to continue, when it will become the turn of the Israelis and they will be in the same situation. And then it will bounce back on the Arabs, and then the Israelis and the Arabs. I hope no one comes to their rescue when they are in a position of no power, for what goes around comes around . . . until one side at least is willing to initiate forgiveness and remove that crappy stigma of being a special people than other human beings.

AmusedOne, please spare us of the usual quotes or indoctrination. You made a statement yesterday implying that no people merited self-determination because they did not embrace that idea for another set of people. Hon', your statement plainly invalidates any claim to self-determination because according to your reasoning, self-determination is a privilege and not a right. Sir, with all due respect, I ask that you for once attempt using logic. The argument our nation and presidents, last I recall Bill Clinton, have made about a people having a nation of theirs was the right to self determination. Rights are not privileges. And last I checked: Two wrongs don't make a right. No matter the animosity the Palestinians had toward Jews and Jews toward Palestinians, there is no justification for denying a people their right to self-determination. Doing so assumes that a certain men are born with natural rights, whilst a certain other are not born with this natural rights. When you go out of your way to deny rights to people on a select basis and to suit your irrational desires, you open up door for denial of your natural rights or denial to any man of any creed, race, tribe, etc. You might want to rethink it before you mix lack of rationalism and intense passion for religion with logic. >>



Good gawd, where to start. In war, aggressors lose their rights when they lose. It happened to Germany, it happened to Japan, and it's happening to the Palestinians who have waged a 50+ year criminal war of aggression against Israel. Once the aggression stops, and they are no longer trying to criminally DESTROY another nation, they can have their rights back.

In short, CRIMINALS lose their right to self determination all the time. This has nothing to do with "irrational desires" and everything to do with the fact that the Arabs have waged a 50+ year war against Israel with the ultimate goal of Israel's complete annihilation. Israel, on the other hand HAS the ability to destroy it's neighbors and the so-called "Palestinian" people, but has not. They are simply trying to protect themselves.

As for your complete and utter ignorance of Israel's political and social structure, well... Arab-Israeli citizens have full and equal rights under law. There are even Muslim and Christian lawmakers in Israel. In fact, there is an Arab-Israeli citizen on the Israeli Supreme Court as well. Hell, in 1999 they picked an Arab-Israeli as Miss Israel.

You ignorantly have Arab-Israeli citizens and Arabs who have refused Israeli citizenship and live in perpetual refugee status confused.

There is total freedom of religion in Israel as well. No religion is banned, regulated, or restricted in any way.

To compare Israel to Apartheid SA and to claim liberties are denied because of religion is pure ignorant bullsh!t.

Last you checked? Who the f'ck are you kidding??? You've NEVER checked.

You know, I'd be laughing so damn hard if this wasn't so f'cking sad. You have absolutely NO damn clue what is going on, or what Israel is like. NONE. Yet you feel informed enough to form such hard and fast opinions.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

First:

"<< imagine the world where everybody speaks and nobody listens. >>
Just like this thread, so is the world. "

Is the smartest thing, and saddest thing, Ive ever heard.


Second:

AmusedOne, Israel is not free of blame here. It too has conducted criminal actions. For example, it is not at all clear that the continued settlement building is legal. Even if it is, I think it remains fair to say that Isreal, like the Palestinians, is a nation driven by fear more than rationality.

 

[Amused]

<< First:

"<< imagine the world where everybody speaks and nobody listens. >>
Just like this thread, so is the world. "

Is the smartest thing, and saddest thing, Ive ever heard.


Second:

AmusedOne, Israel is not free of blame here. It too has conducted criminal actions. For example, it is not at all clear that the continued settlement building is legal. Even if it is, I think it remains fair to say that Isreal, like the Palestinians, is a nation driven by fear more than rationality. >>



You're half right. Israel is driven by fear. However, after three wars of aggresssion they have every rational reason to be in fear. The Arab nations and the "Palestinian" lackeys they support are driven by pure blind hatred. Their reason for trying to destroy Israel are the EXACT same reasons Bin Laden attacked the US. No more, no less.

What you fail to see is that if Israel lost any of the wars, or loses this conflict, they cease to exist. If the Arabs lose, they simply go home with their tails between their legs and come back with terrorist attacks.

What Israel has done is in defense of their very existence. What the Arabs have done is try to eradicate a legitimate, free and democratic nation because it allows religious and cultural freedom (same as the US) and this is an affront to them because Israel happens to rest on Muslim "holy land."

If someone is trying to kill me and destroy my country, there IS no action I can take in my defense that is "unfair." I have every right to use every means at my disposal to remove that threat.

The only criminal actions I have seen is the Arabs committing terrorist acts, and then hiding their terrorists among civilian populations.

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Wrong, its saudia arabia, why do you think bush sr, sent in 200,000 troops to saudi arabia in the gulf war. For a picnic?

As you said, the Saudis aren't very amicable towards us using their country as a launching pad for military operations against their neighbors.

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Israel, on the other hand HAS the ability to destroy it's neighbors and the so-called "Palestinian" people, but has not. They are simply trying to protect themselves.

Or maybe they're trying not to wreck US interests. If Israel launched a full-scale assault I'd imagine Saudi Arabia would be giving the US an ultimatum.

 

[SmackdownHotel]

<<

If someone is trying to kill me and destroy my country, there IS no action I can take in my defense that is "unfair." I have every right to use every means at my disposal to remove that threat. >>



The Palestinians would probably tell you the same thing.

 

[Amused]

<<

<<

If someone is trying to kill me and destroy my country, there IS no action I can take in my defense that is "unfair." I have every right to use every means at my disposal to remove that threat. >>



The Palestinians would probably tell you the same thing. >>



The Palestinians had their chance. They took it, and instead of forming a government and living happily ever after, they joined the surrounding Arab nations and waged a war of aggression not once, not twice, but THREE times against Israel. During and after which they proceeded to wage countless acts of terror against Israel.

Their actions have lost them any right to have a "nation" that boarders AND intersects the country they have sworn to destroy, and have tried on too many occations to even bother listing. For every time Israel TRIES to let them, they simply start killing innocent Israeli citizens again.

 

"Good gawd, where to start. In war, aggressors lose their rights when they lose. It happened to Germany, it happened to Japan, and it's happening to the Palestinians who have waged a 50+ year criminal war of aggression against Israel. Once the aggression stops, and they are no longer trying to criminally DESTROY another nation, they can have their rights back.

In short, CRIMINALS lose their right to self determination all the time. This has nothing to do with "irrational desires" and everything to do with the fact that the Arabs have waged a 50+ year war against Israel with the ultimate goal of Israel's complete annihilation. Israel, on the other hand HAS the ability to destroy it's neighbors and the so-called "Palestinian" people, but has not. They are simply trying to protect themselves."

Amused One, it seems to me when you make a statement about self-determination and include or sample prisoners, you have not the faintest idea what is self-determination. But even if we were to stretch it to your reasoning, it seems to me we would logically infer by your argument that all of the population of Palestinians were in prison. Is that true? Not last I checked. Oh! Or are you trying to tell me just what I suspected: a group of people, in millions, are imprisoned by complete limitation of their liberty? And by your reasoning, no people, not even our forefathers, had a right to self-determination because at least one member of each were imprisoned.

Let's try your logic once again at a very basic level: Do not our prisoners still sustain certain rights? But it seems according to you they don't. Check this 'cuz it might help you: Prisoner's Rights:. Oh my! I wonder why our government doesn't simply torture prisoners we have here since according to AmusedOne their rights cease to exist once they are imprisoned.

It seems rather strange to me that you would equate political prisoners or prisoners of war with regular Joe who steals and does other criminal conducts.

Please read a little more on self-determination, as it might help sharpen your knowledge:

What is Self-Determination?;

Self-Determination in The Information Age;

Self-Determination and the Middle East.

If you care for more indepth and analytical report on self-determination, you can look it up or I can produce you a couple of indepth articles.

"As for your complete and utter ignorance of Israel's political and social structure, well... Arab-Israeli citizens have full and equal rights under law. There are even Muslim and Christian lawmakers in Israel. In fact, there is an Arab-Israeli citizen on the Israeli Supreme Court as well. Hell, in 1999 they picked an Arab-Israeli as Miss Israel.

You ignorantly have Arab-Israeli citizens and Arabs who have refused Israeli citizenship and live in perpetual refugee status confused."

Uh-oh! Just what those without substantiated arguments love to do: Resort to argument against the person.

Oh really, sir! You do well to make assertions I did not at any time make. Sir, are you aware that the apartheid government of South Africa had at least one Black too? Are you aware that the U.S. government before civil rights were granted to Blacks had at least one Black too?

So, hon', ever heard of something called begging the question? You made an assumption on the details of my statement. I am and was very aware that Israel's parliament had a very few Arabs in the parliament.

Secondly, I was very much aware of the "Israeli-Arab" lady running for a pageant and winning it. In fact, I can point you to a thread long time ago started on this forum about this lady nominated and what that meant (and I'm sure there are some members who recall that thread). However, can you tell me how that establishes any points on the rights of individuals of that ethnic and religious background? In every oppressed system, there is always at least one successful person of the oppressed ethnic or religious group. I can find you several "freed slaves" whilst a bunch of other members of society were still slaves. Does the mere existence of "freed slaves" establish that there were no slaves and slavery was not a huge proportion of the nation's economy and daily life?

Sir, do you care to refrain from red herring? Do you care to refrain from a weak analogy?

"There is total freedom of religion in Israel as well. No religion is banned, regulated, or restricted in any way."

If I may ask, sir, when last did I state that people were not allowed to practice their religions at Israel? Last I recall, people were not denied the right to practice religion in South Africa or any similar apartheid system.

Sir, if you carefully read my statements, you would have noted that I said who was given rights as a people was determined by their religion. That statement first off established that people are allowed to practice their religions, except, what treatments they got or what rights and opportunities they had was also determined by this fact. If they wished to enjoy as much liberty as afforded to another group of people, it was in their best interest for a quick fix at least to convert to the other religion.

"You know, I'd be laughing so damn hard if this wasn't so f'cking sad. You have absolutely NO damn clue what is going on, or what Israel is like. NONE. Yet you feel informed enough to form such hard and fast opinions"

Sir, are you always that desperate to resort to argument against the person? Please do not lose your sanity to winning an argument by means of attack of the person. You have your mind to think and present a well-reasoned argument and refute my position if you have facts to negate it.

Thanks for your cooperation, sir.

 

[Amused]

<< If I may ask, sir, when last did I state that people were not allowed to practice their religions at Israel? Last I recall, people were not denied the right to practice religion in South Africa or any similar apartheid system. >>



Um, how about:


<< Last I checked, Israel was a socialist nation with an apartheid system of government, where liberty was denied to one of a certain religious background. >>





<< Sir, if you carefully read, you would have noted that who was given rights as a people was determined by their religion. That statement first off established that people are allowed to practice their religions, except, what treatments they got or what rights and opportunities they had was also determined by this fact. If they wished to enjoy as much liberty as afforded to another group of people, it was in their best interest for a quick fix at least to convert to the other religion. >>



You are again, and as usual, completely clueless. There is NO institutionalized religious discrimination in Israel. And the Israeli government is more religiously varied than the country's population.

There is voluntary segregation, but that is cultural, and is NOT institutionalized just as cultural segregation still exists in the US. When an Arab-Israeli citizen wants to live among Israelis, there is no law against it, and they are freely welcomed.

Roughly 18% of Israel?s more than six million citizens are Arabs. The vast majority (81%) of Israeli Arabs are Muslims. Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights; in fact, it is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote. Arabs currently hold ten seats in the Knesset. Israeli Arabs have also held various government posts.

Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language in Israel. At the time of Israel?s founding, only one Arab high school was operating, today, there are hundreds of Arab schools. Most Arabs attend these schools.

The sole legal distinction between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel is that the latter are not required to serve in the Israeli army. This was to spare Arab citizens the need to take up arms against their brethren. Nevertheless, many Arabs have volunteered for military duty and the Druze and Circassian communities are subject to the draft.

As for the Palestinian's right to self determination, I will repeat this for you. You have NO right to self determination if you try to take that right away from another. You can bleat out all the philosophical BS you want, but the Palestinians LOST their right to a country when they repeatedly --and continue-- to attack Israel NOT with the intent to gain self determination, but with the intent to destroy Israel.

The funniest thing here is your sad attempts to be insultingly condesending while at the same time chastizing me for my insults.

Pot -- kettle, kettle -- pot.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

>What you fail to see is that if Israel lost any of the wars, or loses this conflict, they cease to exist. If the Arabs lose, they simply >go home with their tails between their legs and come back with terrorist attacks.

>What Israel has done is in defense of their very existence. What the Arabs have done is try to eradicate a legitimate, free and >democratic nation because it allows religious and cultural freedom (same as the US) and this is an affront to them because >Israel happens to rest on Muslim "holy land."


I do understand what you are saying, and I mostly agree. My only complaint is this: I do not understand why Israel insists on mixing its people up with the Palestinians in the West bank. If Israel is so keen on security and peace, why not:

1) withdraw to defensible borders
2) sign a "NATO" pact with the U.S.
3) recall the settlers beyond the borders, and put up a fence?

Wait- let me answer my own question

1) Because the religious fanatics in Israel do not want to surrender even an inch of land
2) Because Israel is too prideful
3) Because the settlers and men like Sharon and Ron Nachman have too much $$ invested in the settlements.

 

[Shantanu]

Please stop cr@pping on my thread. This is not meant to be a Jew vs. Muslim discussion. This thread is about why or why not the Israel/Palestine conflict is the least bit significant to the lives of most Americans, and why it deserves the disproportionate amount of coverage it receives over other international issues, many of which are far more relevant to Americans.

Three arguments have been offered so far:

"There's oil in the Middle East!"

This has been debunked, as there are no significant reserves of oil or natural gas in Israel.

"Israel offers intelligence to the U.S."

Also bullsh|t. Israeli intelligence did nothing to thwart the terrorist attacks. Besides, the center of terrorism long ago shifted away from the Middle East to Afghanistan. Israel has no significant intelligence to offer on Afghanistan. Besides, what the hell does their offering America intelligence have to do with their insurgency? Terrorist attacks against Americans are being funded by wealthy Saudi shiekhs, and are being commtted by Muslims living in Europe or in the U.S. Palestinian terrorists, for the most part, don't enter in to the equation.

"It's the only thing going on in the world right now."

This is the most absurd argument of all. There's dozens of little insurgencies and conflicts just like Israel's going on in the world, most of them just as insignificant tot the lives of average Americans. Moreover, there's more relevant news being made elsewhere: Mexico illegally sending over millions of their citizens every year. The EU plotting counter-tarriffs against America's new steel tarriffs. Bush working on free trade agreements with Latin America... All of these events are going to affect Americans a hell of a lot more than one minor conflict in Israel. I bet most people don't even know about any of these stories, because the international news is synonymous with "What's going on in Israel".